While Uzbekistan, like the rest of the world, is struggling against the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is suffering from another unexpected disaster.

On May 1, 2020, at about 05:55 a.m., a water leak occurred because of the destruction of the dam’s sixth picket wall of the Sardoba reservoir. As a result of this, very serious damage was caused to settlements located around the reservoir.

70 thousand people from 22 settlements of Sardoba, Akaltin and Mirzabad districts located around the reservoir were evacuated for temporary accommodation to the Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions. The evacuated population has been housed in schools, colleges, private enterprises and local dwellings. As a result of the incident 56 people were injured, there is no information about the dead.

Due to the large scale of the catastrophe, as a result of water leakage from the Sardoba reservoir floods also occurred in several settlements of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 5,400 people were evacuated from Maktaaral district of Turkestan region.

Buildings and houses around the reservoir went under water, many houses were completely washed away by the water stream. Because the catastrophe occurred in the early morning, the evacuated population did not manage to take almost anything with them. Livestock, cars, documents, valuables - everything remained under water.

The funds collected within this charity event will be used to provide the most necessary assistance to the evacuated 70 thousand people, including for the acquisition of:

- food;

- drinking water;

- special food, diapers, clothes and other necessary goods for children;